Synonyms of cons

cons 1 of 4

noun (1)

plural of con

as in prisoners

a person convicted as a criminal and serving a prison sentence

a program to help ex-cons find employment

Synonyms & Similar Words

• prisoners
• convicts
• inmates
• jailbirds
• trusties
• parolees
• captives
• lifers
• internees
• captures
• probationers

cons

2 of 4

noun (2)

plural of con

as in scams

an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value

the explanation was so plausible that I never suspected it was all a con to make off with my car

Synonyms & Similar Words

• scams
• frauds
• swindles
• hustles
• devices
• schemes
• shell games
• fiddles
• hoaxes
• tricks
• stings
• buncos
• flimflams
• rackets
• pyramid schemes
• Ponzi schemes
• fixes
• stratagems
• counterfeits
• sleights
• crosses
• wiles
• dodges
• rip-offs
• gimmicks
• phonies
• fakes
• jigs
• ploys
• thimblerigs
• forgeries
• shams
• three-card montes
• humbug

cons

3 of 4

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of con

1

as in studies

to commit to memory

usually candidates con their entire campaign speech, right down to the jokes they supposedly ad-lib

Synonyms & Similar Words

• studies
• learns
• memorizes
• knows
• remembers
• understands
• grasps
• retains
• accepts
• recalls
• thinks (of)
• minds
• harks back (to)
• gets
• comprehends
• recollects
• absorbs
• digests
• relives
• apprehends
• reminisces (about)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• forgets
• ignores
• neglects
• passes over
• disregards
• overlooks
• unlearns
• slurs (over)
• disremembers
• slights
• misremembers
• overpasses

2

as in reviews

to look over closely (as for judging quality or condition)

seemed to be conning his face for any sign of uncertainty

Synonyms & Similar Words

• reviews
• scans
• examines
• surveys
• inspects
• views
• audits
• watches
• scrutinizes
• analyzes
• goes over
• checks (out)
• oversees
• studies
• overlooks
• explores
• notices
• investigates
• dissects
• researches
• probes
• combs
• pores (over)
• peruses
• parses
• categorizes
• classifies
• observes
• delves (into)
• plumbs
• picks over
• reinspects
• rereviews
• resurveys

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• misses
• glances (at or over)
• skims

cons

4 of 4

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of con

1

as in hustles

to rob by the use of trickery or threats

a fly-by-night operator who had conned hundreds of would-be homeowners out of their hard-earned money

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hustles
• cheats
• squeezes
• plucks
• stings
• tricks
• sticks
• beats
• does
• screws
• swindles
• suckers
• deceives
• cozens
• shakes down
• fleeces
• shorts
• bleeds
• rips off
• mulcts
• bilks
• defrauds
• gaffs
• fiddles
• victimizes
• shortchanges
• skins
• exploits
• reams
• rooks
• chouses
• diddles
• chisels
• skunks
• stiffs
• fools
• hoses
• flimflams
• euchres
• thimblerigs
• nobbles
• does in
• takes to the cleaners
• betrays
• sells a bill of goods to
• wrenches
• takes for a ride
• clips
• extorts
• dupes
• milks
• nicks
• gouges
• overcharges
• wrings
• soaks
• gulls
• wrests
• bitches
• ropes (in)
• double-crosses
• bamboozles
• fast-talks

2

as in tricks

to cause to believe what is untrue

tried to con me into thinking that he had actually won the lottery

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tricks
• fools
• deceives
• kids
• dupes
• strings along
• suckers
• teases
• juggles
• cozens
• deludes
• hoodwinks
• fakes out
• hoaxes
• gaffs
• humbugs
• gulls
• misleads
• bluffs
• misinforms
• has on
• takes in
• cheats
• spoofs
• bamboozles
• misguides
• sucks in
• stings
• snookers
• snows
• does a number on
• hornswoggles
• has
• leads one down the garden path
• beguiles
• buffaloes
• gammons
• burns
• catches
• pulls one's leg
• swindles
• pulls the wool over one's eyes
• hustles
• sticks
• fleeces
• mulcts
• defrauds
• puts on
• shortchanges
• flimflams
• skins
• bleeds
• rooks
• chisels
• diddles
• euchres
• squeezes

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reveals
• exposes
• debunks
• shows up
• uncovers
• unmasks
• discloses
• undeceives
• tells
• divulges
• unveils
• uncloaks
• disillusions
• disenchants
• disabuses

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of cons

Noun

Relitigating the pros and cons, and duplicating the work takes time, and slows down decision-making. — Tony Grout, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

An expert weighs the pros and cons and provides tips to decide what works best for you. — Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 July 2026

Gaiam yoga mat cons Gaiam yoga mats don’t always have the best quality compared to other brands. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 14 July 2026

Pros & cons 5% cash back rewards on category of choice for **Chime Prime members. — Ryley Amond, CNBC, 10 July 2026

The board weighed the pros and cons. — Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 23 June 2026

Downside To Dryer Balls Dryer balls don't have many cons. — Lauren David, Southern Living, 19 June 2026

At the same time, the process of Jessie navigating the pros and cons of consumer tech finds this franchise at its best. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 16 June 2026

What are the pros and cons there? — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 15 June 2026

Verb

Keith arrests our thinking, and cons us into suppressing our critical faculties with the same kind of internalized surveillance that philosopher Michel Foucault broke down to describe a prison’s use of the panopticon in Discipline and Punish. — Literary Hub, 19 May 2026